Frozen Leopard
by biological.experiment
Summary: AU supernatural Frozen fic. Instead of having the powers to manipulate snow, Elsa is simply a hunted snow leopard. Warnings: Possibly femslash - still undecided how far to take it. (Incomplete)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an idea I'm tinkering with, still working out the kinks of how I want the plot to go. It'll definitely be an AU Frozen fic, possibly a femslash between Elsa and Anna. I guess it's safe to say it will be more along the supernatural lines. Elsa has the ability to turn into a snow leopard instead of having the powers of snow. I will probably wander away from the cannon version a lot, just as a heads up to those who read.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. Only OC characters and plots will be claimed, so forth and so on. **

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Frozen Leopard

Crouching down in the shadows, sharp nails dug into the snow as piercing blue eyes watched their prey. So close, but she couldn't attack yet. She had to wait for the perfect timing. Feeling her rear arch as she shifted to gather her haunches beneath her, a long spotted tail curled in tension.

Almost. Just a little bit more.

There!

Pushing off with the use of wide, powerful paws, strong legs kicked the muscular body towards her target. Weaving through the mounds of snow, the mass of fur maneuvered swiftly during the chase, causing a trail of white powder to fly into the air. Crouching one last time, short legs bent beneath the body's mass with a graceful ease as the feline pounced. Landing on the bundled figure running a few steps ahead, a scream pierced the night air.

The scream quickly turned into a bout of giggle, as a short muzzle snuffled its way through the layers of winter clothing to find a pink face covered in freckles. Content, the snow leopard settled on top of its prey, pinning the girl in the snow. Bathing the small area of exposed flesh in little kisses, the rough tongue caused the giggles to teeter into uncontained laughter.

"Elsa!" the girl cried through the fit of giggles, unable to catch her breath. "Elsa! Get off, you're squishing me!"

Positive that she wasn't squishing the girl, Elsa still complied as she climbed off, allowing the bundled figuer to sit up in the snow.

"Ah! I can finally breathe!" the girl exclaimed, clutching at her heart as if it was the reason her lungs were denied the cherished oxygen. Watching as Elsa rolled her eyes at her antics, the girl tugged gently at the long tail lying beside her. "You know, you're getting a bit heavy. Not that you're fat," she quickly amended as icy blue hues narrowed at her. "It's just that you're growing and your fur is heavy and- Wait. No. No! Elsa, don't you dare!" the girl squealed as she was suddenly shoved backwards into the snow, only to have her favorite hat stolen from beneath her grasping fingertips.

"Elsa! Get back here!" she screamed at the cat before taking off after her, strawberry braids flying behind her.

By the time the girl broke free of the woods and rounded the corner of the building, she came to a skidding halt, almost colliding with the naked girl in front of her. Tarring her gaze from the platinum blonde locks, terrified orbs glanced up into the glaring eyes of their father.

"Anna. Go to your room. Elsa and I need to talk."

Flickering her eyes uncertainty at her sister, Anna wanted to disobey. However, she knew that tone and it was not to be trifled with. Reaching out to touch Elsa, Anna quickly withdrew her hand as her father's glare stopped her movement. With a sigh, Anna shuffled past the two figures and disappeared inside. Turning around, Anna glanced at Elsa sadly, praying that her sister didn't get into too much trouble. After all, it was her fault, not Elsa's. She had been the one to convince the platinum blonde to play in the snow during the middle of the night. However, Anna knew her father would not listen. With a final sigh, she closed the door.

Wincing as the audible click echoed across the snow, Elsa straightened her shoulders. Turning her gaze back towards the man before her, she quickly bit down on the inside of her right cheek as the left side of her face erupted in pain. It wasn't the first time she had been backhanded by her father; she knew not to make a sound. Crying made it worse, for then he would have to silence her before she received her punishment for breaking the rules. Similarly, she learned from the beginning not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. Instead, she simply squared her shoulders and braced herself for the next attack. However, the blow never came.

"Elsa. You have been warned to not expose Anna to such abominations. Clearly you are unable to control and hide that devil creature. You are no longer welcomed here. Leave now and never return."

Shocked, the young girl stood in the snow as she watched the man turned about in the snow and stormed into the small cabin. As she heard the echo of the door closing for the second time that night, Elsa stared on in horror. Unable to move, the girl remained frozen in her spot as the snow began to fall heavily about her. Her brain distracted, the change in weather went unnoticed as the cabin lights flickered out, leaving her standing in complete darkness.

Leave? Where would she go? And Anna. She had to protect her sister. Lost in thought and still dazed over the events that had just occurred, Elsa jumped as she felt a warm hand come to rest on her shoulder. Spinning about, the blonde girl crouched in the snow, a low growl rumbling from her chest. She hated to be touched unexpectedly, especially by anyone besides Anna. However, instead of seeing hostility, a gentle smile greeted her beneath faint moonlight, causing the growling to stop.

Stumped, icy blue orbs took a moment to actually take in the figure that had touched her. Instead of her father or another hunter, before her stood a naked woman with soft brown locks blowing through the breeze. Soft blue eyes gazed sadly down at the girl, making Elsa slightly uncomfortable. Why was this woman sad? More so, who was she and what was she doing in the middle of the woods?

Her questions went unspoken, however, as the woman abruptly turned and retreated into the tree line. Glancing over her shoulder as she paused at the edge of the woods, blue eyes regarded the girl and with a quick tilt of her head, disappeared into the trees. Before she could utter a sound or take a step, a flurry of snow picked up, causing a white wall to separate the two women from sight.

In a mild panic, Elsa cried out as she stumbled forward, but the woman was gone. Glancing about frantically, Elsa eventually caught sight of a pale figure disappearing deeper into the woods, causing her to unconsciously relax momentarily. With a hesitant step forward, Elsa stalled as she looked back towards the dark window where she knew Anna was waiting for her. Feeling her heart wrench in two. Elsa let out a pitiful cry as her legs finally gave way. She couldn't leave her sister.

Kneeling in the snow, Elsa cried, clutching the hat to her chest. It wasn't until she felt a warm, furry, body wrap itself protectively about her form that she finally raised her head to stare into a pair of sincere blue eyes. She knew she couldn't stay here. She would die, either from cold or at the end of a gun. With a resigned sigh, Elsa allowed her body to shift back into that of a snow leopard. Taking another hesitant step forward, the young feline slinked silently into the woods. Despite the physical chill disappearing as she was enveloped in warm fur and sheltered from the howling wind, she could feel the ice wrap around her heart as she followed the creature away from her beloved Anna


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own, sadly.**

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Lounging in the tree, a single arm dangled in the air below as the other tucked itself snuggly on the branch to be used as a makeshift pillow for a head of strawberry blonde hair. The sunlight filtering through the branches above turned the reddish hues into fiery locks as the breeze tugged playfully at the strands, tempting them to dance free from their braided confinements. Raising the dangling arm, long fingers brushed aside the stray hairs that tickled freckled cheeks.

Opening a pair of sleep orbs, cerulean hues stared at the world above her. It was summertime in Arendelle. The woods around the girl vibrated with life in the late afternoon, lulling the girl's brain into a faint daze. The shade of the trees broke the summer glare, basking the girl in a pleasant warmth that was countered by the cool breeze. It was a perfect place to be. Sighing in content, the girl closed her eyes once again as she settled down for a well-deserved nap, oblivious to the watchful eyes in the shadows below.

It wasn't until she felt a calloused hand cover her mouth as another arm wrapped around her torso in an attempt to drag her from the tree that the girl reacted with a scream. Bolting up from the branch, the girl twirled about, locking eyes on her captive. Growling, she shoved the attacker off the branch before watching as blonde locks tumbled over booted feet. Glaring down through the leaves, the girl smirked upon hearing a satisfying thud accompanied by a braying laughter.

Staying in the crouched position, nimble toes and fingers curled into the rough bark for stability as the branch continued to sway from the previous motions. With a quick swipe of a blade, branches fluttered to the ground, allowing cerulean hues to note that her attacker sprawled hap hazardously on the mossy ground as his brown-haired companion continued to laugh.

"Shut your gob," the blonde grumbled as he brushed off the leaves and shards of grass.

"Come on Anna!" the brunette hollered up as he assisted the blonde up off the ground. "We're going to be late for the big hunt!"

The hunt. She had almost forgotten it was today. Slipping the blade back into its sheathe hidden against her calf, the girl nimbly eased her way to the ground below, making a more graceful landing than the blonde boy.

"You didn't have to push so hard you know," the boy grumbled as he found his cap laying amongst one of the bushes.

"You shouldn't try to sneak up on me then, Kristoff," Anna huffed as she took off in the direction of the cabin, ignoring the loud snickers.

"Shut your gob, Sven," Kristoff grumbled again at his friend while pushing the giggling brunette into the bush that had captured his hat. Instead of falling over, the large lad simply swayed as he remained towering above the blonde. Huffing in turn, Kristoff stomped off after the girl, deciding it was best to ignore the snickering as well.

"Hey, Anna! Wait up for us!" Sven hollered, racing past Kristoff as he stole the blonde's cap. Letting out another braying laughter as the blonde released a string of obscenities, the brunette dashed past the smirking redhead, leading the way back to camp as he danced out of harm's way.

"Last one there has to stay and guard the camp," Sven called back, spurring the other two to race after the brunette.

xxx

Breaking through the tree line, the trio made their way through the tents and cabins at a pace below sprinting. They were running late and if they didn't hurry they would miss out on the preparations. Parting ways, Anna took off for the large cabin near the backside of camp, promising to meet up with the two lads in time for the hunt.

Over the years Anna had watched as her father and the other adults ventured off for the yearly grand hunt, leaving her to watch the camp with the other women and younger children. She had hunted on her own and with her father or Kristoff and Sven countless of times, but tonight's hunt would be different. It was the Rites of Passage hunt. Each year in the midst of summer the Hunt was held for the juveniles coming of age. Finally old enough, Anna would be officially allowed to participate in tonight's hunt, and after returning with her kill, she would be welcomed into the realm of adulthood.

Weaving her way through the other occupants in the camp, Anna hardly registered their greetings as she rushed to make it home. Since she was one of the few clan members to be initiated into the hunting party tonight, she was supposed to have spent the day in meditation, preparing herself for tonight's events. Instead, she had snuck out before the sun rose to wander the woods in solitude. She knew she would be scolded later for it, but she simply wasn't the type to sit still for short periods of time, let alone meditate with a large group for a long session.

Skidding to a halt as she reached her destination, Anna wearily glanced around before sneaking up to the cabin. Easing the handle on the door, she pushed against the wood only enough to slip her petite frame through the gap. Holding her breath, she allowed the door to latch shut with practiced silence before pausing as she listened for any signs of life. Ignoring her pounding heart, Anna tiptoed cautiously through the main sitting area before making her way down the hall. _Almost home fre_e, Anna mentally cheered as she pushed the door to her room open, only to twitch as a throat was cleared behind her.

"Anna."

"Yes, papa?" Anna twirled about, plastering a large smile on her face as her hands gripped the door handle behind her back.

"Where were you?"

"I was meditating, papa" Anna responded. Stretching the truth just a bit, she silently prayed that a nap in the woods would substitute for meditating around a clump of sweaty bodies.

"Meditating," Agdar repeated skeptically. Reaching out a single hand, he plucked a stray leaf out of the strawberry locks before twirling it about between his fingertips. "In the trees again?"

"Er, yes, papa," Anna quietly admitted.

"Anna, you need to start being more responsible." Sighing, Agdar crumpled the leaf in his fist. "Do you truly desire to become a Hunter?"

"Yes! More than anything," Anna assured, letting the door go as she clutched ahold of her father's fist. "I'm sorry, papa. I will join the meditation the next time. I promise."

"If you truly desire to be amongst the Hunters then you need to stop skirting your responsibilities to your clan and family. Meditation is more than to clear your mind and to prepare you for the hunt. It is a bonding time between you and the others in the party. Without the spiritual connection, we are not strong enough to connect and assist our brothers and sisters at arms," the chief reminded his daughter.

Hanging her head, Anna simply nodded. Meditation was as much of a part of the clan as eating, breathing or sleeping. It was not only for the hunters to support each other during battle, but a time for the entire clan to be united. Before meal, the clan members would meditate together to bring one another closer, psychologically and spiritually connecting with each other. Anna was required to participate during these sessions, but she would often simply pretend to meditate or force her body to the extreme during the day in the hopes that she would fall asleep before meditation began, only to be woken in time to eat. In either case, she would continuously be lectured about the same matter at hand.

"I'm sorry, papa," she whispered. About what, she wasn't certain, but she hated to disappoint the clan chief.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Agdar reassured the girl as he pulled her into a warm embrace. Kissing the top of the strawberry locks, Agdar held his daughter close as a pair of smaller arms clung to his lithe frame. "I know I may be strict, but I do it for your own protection. Come now, the ceremony's about to begin. Wash up and let us join the others. Tonight, my dear, you become part of the Hunters."


	3. Chapter 3

Sighing heavily, Anna tugged at the base of her jerkin. Adjusting the garment, blue eyes took in the new outfit her friends and family had gifted her in celebration. The dark green jerkin covered her torso, held closed by emerald clasps while still revealing the light cream blouse beneath that tucked into familiar archer cuffs. Covering her legs, like a second skin, were dark brown leggings that disappeared into a pair of well-worn, knee high leather boots. The new boots she had received rested against the wall, fashion forgone for comfort; tonight was not the night to attempt breaking them in.

Lifting the brush, Anna slowly dragged it through the tangled tresses, her mind wandering to what tonight would bring. After the celebration, those who were going to join in the hunt would gather together before the initiates would be sent on their way. Required to hunt and survive on their own for a week, the novice hunters would then bring back their kill. Quantity wasn't the goal here, however, but rarity. They would be required to hunt the dangers that wrought the clan and upon slaying the beast, bring it back as proof that they can protect the young and the old alike.

Giving her hair a final tug with the brush, Anna quickly wrangled her unruly locks into her customary twin braids. Ever since she was a little girl she had styled her hair in such a fashion, the reason why locked somewhere in her subconscious. Eyeing her appearance once more, Anna confirmed she had everything she would need for the next week before she hoisted her quiver over one shoulder. Grabbing her bow in one hand and her pack in the other, she quietly closed her bedroom door before roaming outside.

Following her nose, Anna felt her stomach rumble in anticipation as her mouth began to salivate the closer she grew to the bonfire at the center of the town. Even without her sense of smell, Anna would have easily been able to navigate her way based on the laughter and music filling the air. Smiling happily, Anna picked up her pace. She was eager to find her friends and start the night, but more so to help herself to the delicious odors wafting through the air.

Rounding the corner, Anna ran into a solid form, causing her to teeter back and land in an undignified pile on her rear. Grumbling under her breath, Anna glared up at the man in front of her before her expression turned to surprise to see a large hand come into view. Eyeing the hand suspiciously, she eventually allowed the tall redhead to pull her up and onto her feet.

"What's the hurry, Anna?"

"Just getting ready for the hunt, Hans," Anna replied while trying to step around the man. However, each time she tried to step around, she found her path blocked.

"Ready for what exactly? You're a woman, Anna" Hans reminded the girl as if she was a forgetful child. "You don't belong in the hunt. Your duty to the clan is to stay here and to watch the children. At least," he whispered while stepping closer, effectively causing the girl to step back to avoid her personal space from becoming violated, "until you're ready to give me one of my own."

Scoffing, Anna tried shoving her way past the man. "Never in your lifetime, Hans. Now, if you'll excuse me," she huffed before feeling her bicep restrained in a vicelike grip, causing the girl to twirl about to stand almost nose to nose with the man in front of her.

"Oh, that wasn't an offer, my dear. It's simply a reminder that the clock's ticking, and soon, very soon, you will be mine."

"Let go," Anna growled, her free hand slipping a hidden dagger free of its sheath to press warningly into the man's gut.

"Anna, Anna," Hans tsked, a lazy smile gracing his handsome features. "You wouldn't stab an unarmed man, now would you?"

"No, but I would," a gruff voice answered from behind the man. Grabbing hold of the redhead's shoulders, he spun Hans around. "Leave her alone, Hans."

Seeing who the girl's savoir was, Hans merely chuckled while holding his hands up in a false surrender. "I try, Kristoff. She was the one who came onto me," he replied. "Until later, my dear. Remember what I said." With that, Hans sauntered off to join the festivities.

Growling in frustration, the blonde turned his focus to the feisty redhead fuming beside him. "You alright, Anna?" he inquired almost rhetorically. He could tell by her stance and the glare in her blue orbs that she was anything but. However, the question did the trick by breaking the girl's train of thought.

"I was handling it just fine, Kristoff."

With a huff, Anna shoved the blade back into its holder before stomping off in the opposite direction of the fire. She was no longer hungry, nor was she in the mood for laughter and dancing. She just wanted to get the hunt started and over with to prove she did belong with the hunters and not barefoot and in the kitchen like Hans had hinted.

"Whoa, where you off to, feisty pants?" Kristoff inquired, running to catch the girl before she got too far. "The party's this way."

"Shove off, Kristoff. I'm not hungry."

The blonde snorted. _When does she ever _not_ eat? _Keeping his thoughts to himself, he tried a different approach. Leaning in close to the girl's ear, he whispered quietly, almost secretively. "They have chocolate…" Sure enough, Kristoff grinned as the girl stopped in her tracks.

"Fine. But, I'm only staying for the chocolate," Anna grumbled before allowing her friend to lead her towards the tantalizing odors.

"Mhmm. Just the chocolate," Kristoff promised, keeping his fingers crossed behind his back as he placed his other hand on the base of Anna's back to guide her.

In the end, the pair had stumbled into Sven and the trio hid out by the buffet table until coaxed by various clam members to join the fireside dances. The night was simply a prelude to the celebration that was to come, a time to honor the hunters of the past and to prepare to welcome the future hunters. It wouldn't be until the week's end and the return of the initiates that the real celebration would be held. Upon everyone's arrival, there would be a week long feast to celebrate the joining of new, current, and previous hunters.

During the first night, the clan would simply feast in celebration of the return of their loved ones, their brothers and sons, or in Anna's case, sister and daughter. It wasn't rare, per say, to have a female warrior and hunter in the clan, it had simply been a handful of years since the chief had allowed one of the female clan members to step forth into such a role. The previous few that had attempted the hunt never returned. Because of this, Anna was even more determined succeed and thus reset the mindset that had developed throughout the clan as she grew older.

On the second day, once the hunters had been fed and rested, each initiate would present their kills along with the other hunters. From here, they would perform the final rites required to accept their new status into the clan, and based on their skills shown, they would be gifted with certain tokens to accommodate their shift in the clan. As each hunter proved him- or herself worthy, they would similarly be required to move into their own lodging, no longer residing with the family to further show they were capable of defending their own and to start a new family and life.

Anna wasn't afraid of this point, her mind was more focused on the last part of the celebration. On the final day, as the trial came to the end, each hunter would face one last challenge. Here they would discover their true identity and purpose in life as their spirits were revealed to not only themselves but to the world for all to see. It was a bit daunting, in Anna's opinion, to grow up preparing for eighteen summers simply to discover her true fate in life.

With a sigh, Anna brushed her thoughts aside. There would be plenty of time to think over the course of the next week. She personally believed that that was why the event took so long. It gave the youngsters a chance to organize their thoughts and views on the world one last time before having the slate wiped clean and their thoughts and opinions reorganized based off the night of revelation. Perhaps that could be her purpose in life, to change some of the customs the clan had practically set in stone since the beginning of creation.

Chuckling to herself, Anna hoisted her belongings from their perch by the tree before rejoining the group. The moon was at its peak, it was time to go. Catching Kristoff and Sven in a tight embrace, she hugged the pair tightly. She would see them again, but not for a week, despite that they would be off on the hunt as well. Saving her father for last, she stepped into the comforting embrace. Clutching on like a little girl, she inhaled the scent of wood smoke and pine that had defined him since she was a little girl.

"I'll miss you," she admitted in a whisper.

"You'll be fine, dear. You'll be back soon and in two weeks all will be back to normal."

Normal. She longed to believe her father, but she had a strong feeling that things would never be the same after the Hunt. Instead of disputing her father's claim, she simply nodded. With a kiss to his cheek, she disappeared into the woods.


	4. Chapter 4

An angry growl escaped the petite strawberry blonde as she examined yet another trap. Like the others she had come across over the past three days, the trap had been tampered with and destroyed, her prey gone. She could see the clear signs of the beast about the hunt grounds, from the paw prints in the damp soil to the patches of fur caught on the branches, but there were no bodies to show for the damage created.

Frustrated, Anna threw the shredded contraption to the side and went about exploring the area to see where she had gone wrong. Retracing her steps, like she had done with all the others, she mentally reset the trap. In the end, she gathered the same results: nothing beyond that the trap was either sprung, tampered with, or destroyed beyond repair.

She couldn't wrap her mind around how they were escaping. She could phantom how some of the destruction occurred, but some of the signs she's picked up left her baffled. The scene appeared as if another creature came along and bailed the creature out. It was as if someone or something was toying with her on purpose. Animals simply did not do that.

Running her fingers through tangled locks, Anna snorted._ Animals helping other animals out as if they were that smart. Good one, Anna. What next? Walking snowmen?_ Shaking her head at such a silly notion, blue eyes scanned the area once more.

There were no point in remaining in the area. The animals would stay away from here for a time after such a commotion. It was the same as all the other spots she had selected since the start of her hunt, which had forced her to move on. Once again, the empty traps forced her to relocate. Gathering her pack, Anna took off deeper into the woods.

She still had four days before she had to return back to Arendelle. Certainly she would be able to find something by then. After all, she had no quarrels when it came to setting up camp or with her smaller traps for food, it was only her larger traps meant for the predators that were having a series of malfunctions. Perhaps a different approach was needed.

Glancing up at sun, she noticed it was just past high noon. She would have to pick up her pace if she wanted to reach the high mountains by nightfall. Normally the hunters would stay near the camp and track the predators in the area. That was the point of the excursion: to prove that you could protect the citizens within. However, based off her string of luck, Anna decided she would have to go for a long shot.

She would have to track the rumored creatures of the North Mountain. Her time was running out and she needed to find a kill that would leave no dispute of her abilities and right to join the hunters. If she could pull it off then she would have smooth sailing and everyone would leave her alone in the future. Sighing heavily, Anna set out to find the fabled creatures of legend.

Xxx

Despite the fact that it was high summer in the valleys below, the north mountain was sentenced to an eternal winter. Shivering, Anna tucked her numb hands beneath her armpits in an attempt to bring feeling back into the frozen digits. Although she had warmer gear with her, she hadn't packed for the sporadic snowstorms that the mountains were so notorious for.

She had been tracking a beast for the past two days higher and higher into the mountains. She knew that she should have turned back, but she was too stubborn and determined to stop now. By the size of the fresh trail of paw prints, the creature was huge. Even if it wasn't one of the fabled legends the clan talked about by the fireside to scare the children, it would certainly do the trick.

Crouching down in the shelter of a tree, Anna hid for a moment from the brutal wind. For each step she had taken up the snow encrusted slope, the gale had pushed her back three. If only the wind would stop she would have an easier time making it up the mountain side. Sighing, Anna watched as the tracks she had been following were suddenly swept away, once again, by the air only to dance away into the night sky.

She couldn't stay here. The longer she paused, despite her weary bones, the larger the distance the beast would gain on her. Rising up out of the crouch, the girl felt herself sway by the sheer force of the wind. Clutching hold of the tree branch to regain stability, Anna glanced up as a crack echoed through the air. Feeling her eyes grow wide, she barely made it two steps as a branch, laden with snow and ice, snapped free and plummeted towards the ground, knocking the air from her lungs.

Sprawled out in the snow, Anna turned her head to breathe the icy air into struggling lungs, her eyelids heavy as a blanket of warmth clouded her mind. It felt good to lay down after walking for the past two days. A short nap wouldn't hurt. The snow landing on top of her provided a nice barrier from the howling wind and her body tingled with an unfamiliar warmth. _Just a short nap,_ Anna decided. Closing her eyes, the girl blocked out the howling storm and the sight of a large beast coming closer.

Xxx

With a groan, a shaky hand brushed strawberry bangs out of sleepy face before blue eyes snapped open. It was suddenly very cold. Sitting up cautiously, tired hues glanced about, taking in the surroundings as a sluggish brain tried to catch up to the situation. The last Anna recalled was falling snow and passing out on the ground after being knocked out when the branch hit her in the head. If that was the case, why was she suddenly in a cave, dry and warm, despite the sudden chill that crept along her bones?

Brows furrowing, Anna glanced around once more before forcing her body to rise. All considering, she felt rather refreshed, despite sleeping on a cold, hard ground. Moving to the entrance of the cave, she noticed the sun was setting in the distance. She had slept at least the day away, if not more. She would be unable to complete the tasks to join the hunters.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her loose hair once more before pausing, her fingers tangled in the snarled locks. She could have sworn her hair had been braided when she was hunting. Perhaps she had taken the braids out during her sleep, she was known for doing more than just that when captured in the thrall of slumber.

Distracted by her thoughts, Anna shut down her thoughts about Arendelle and allowed her eyes to roam over the terrain in front of her. Noticing a large body off to the side, sheltered from the wind, Anna felt her muscles tense as blue eyes went wide in realization. Crouching out of reflex, the girl waited in the defensive position. However, the longer she lingered, unmoving, she noticed that the large creature was doing the same.

Cautiously, Anna rose from her stance and moved closer to the source. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the only movement noted was caused by the wind as it tugged at the dark fur. Moving carefully, despite her observations, Anna continued to approach the creature, weary encase it was merely sleeping and the thick fur hid its breathing. However, her efforts were in vain, for the creature never moved, not even upon being touched.

Glancing about, she noticed two other objects that resided beside the dead creature. Frozen by the winter night, Anna realized that there were also two rabbits. Confused more than curious, Anna sat beside the creature as her brain attempted to catch up to what her senses were telling her. She was baffled as to why there would randomly be a large mountain wolf and two skinned rabbits lying in wait. Adding that to how she got there, she was confused by the entire predicament.

Closing her eyes, she rested her head back against the stone wall. She was too tired to think and process what she was seeing, let alone combine it with the events of the previous week. She wanted to simply go back to sleep. However, her stomach had different thoughts in mind as its growl matched the howling wind beyond the sheltered walls.

Thankful that no one was about to share her embarrassment, Anna rose to fetch her packs. Realizing that her equipment was gone, including her weapons, the girl scowled in annoyance. But, what was she to expect? Nothing came without a price. She had learned that early in life, and apparently her survival came at the fee of losing her belongings.

Sighing in irritation, Anna glanced about her surroundings. She could eat one of the rabbits. It would go to waste if left there in the open. Either that or another creature would stumble across it. She hated frozen meat though.

Realizing she was limited on options, Anna sucked up her distaste as her stomach growled once more in protest. Making her way back to the dead creatures, it was then that she noticed a pile of dried brush over in the corner next to a crude fire pit. Staring at the object, Anna reached with one hand and pinched her other arm. Yelping, she rubbed at the sensitive flesh to pacify the angry nerves.

Surely she had died and gone to hunter's heaven. Her sudden string of good luck was too good to be true. To not be dead; to be out of the cold, wind and snow; to have her kill practically door delivered; and to have a means to cook the food and get warm, it was simply too good to be true. Especially after the string of luck she had been having.

But who was she to argue about free food? Ignoring the nagging thoughts in the back of her head that she was secretly dead, Anna made quick work of setting up a small fire before the sun could completely set and leave her in total darkness. Once the fire was situated, she fetched the rabbits and set them up on skewers to roast over the open flame. She decided she would cook both and leave one as a thank you for her rescuer. If no one showed by the morning, she would simply leave it as an offering to the gods at large and be on her way.

With that solution pacifying her thoughts for the time being, Anna helped herself to the quaint meal before curling back up for most sleep. There was no point in staying awake. She had no way to defend herself if a creature was to come for her during the night, so she might as well get some rest while she could. As for the beast outside, well, she would figure it out in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Forcing a smile on her face, Anna stood with the other hunters as cheers erupted the night air. Each initiate had returned successfully after a week's hunt and it was now time to celebrate. Taking her place at the table of hunters, Anna sat at the edge of her seat, unable to relax despite the festivities taking place. She shouldn't be here, she didn't belong with the elite of the clan.

After waking that morning, Anna had discovered that the mountain wolf and the cooked rabbit were still lying where she had left it upon falling asleep. Debating with herself for over a good hour, Anna finally devised a rugged sled to drag the beast back to camp. It had taken the better part of the day to make her way down the mountain, and by the time she reached home, the sun was just kissing the valley goodnight.

Anna had scarcely a moment of rest before she was enveloped into her father's strong embrace and swung about before she was passed around her family and friends like a new toy. Their praise fell on deaf ears, however, as Anna's guilt built with each slap to the back, warm hug received, or voice of confident congratulations offered. She had earned none of the lionization, but unless she wanted to be shunned from the hunters and the clan, she had to live with the decision she made.

It wasn't technically a lie. She had technically brought back the kill. She simply left out the minute details of how the events occurred, to herself and the others. However, despite her reasoning, Anna felt the vicelike grip on her stomach clench tighter as the night wore on.

"You're not eating much, feisty pants."

Startled out of her inner musings, Anna glanced up from twirling her blade in the large chunk of roast that occupied a good portion of her plate. Smiling softly, she offered up a faint shrug in response. "Just not hungry, Kristoff," Anna answered. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry. Usually she would devour this and more when her favorite foods were made. Her conscious was simply punishing her for the little white lie, making her incapable of stomaching more than a few necessary mouthfuls.

"Not hungry," Kristoff repeated, eyeing the girl skeptically. Setting his fork down, he reached over and rested a large hand over the girl's forehead. "Okay, what did you do with my Anna," the lad demanded in a serious tone even as his eyes danced in jest.

Rolling her eyes, Anna smiled as she pushed the ham of a limb away. "Nothing. _Your_ Anna's still here. I'm just exhausted is all; the trip took a bigger toll than I expected."

Debating the response, Kristoff finally nodded as if satisfied with the girl's excuse and turned back to his food with gusto. "Well, if you're not going to eat that, then you can hand it over."

"Pig," Anna mumbled as she slid her plate over.

"No. Growing man," Kristoff retorted with a mouthful.

"Growing out you mean, if you're not careful," Sven snorted, causing the blonde to glare at his friend sitting on the other side of Anna.

"Pfft, it's all muscle. You're just jealous."

Giggling, Anna reached over and pat Kristoff's stomach. "I'm not sure. I think I felt a jiggle."

Growling playfully, Kristoff tugged at the girl's braid before pushing her plate back to her. "Come on, squirt. You need to eat up if you ever want to catch up to Sven and my bulk. Else wise you'll never be able to take us," Kristoff teased.

"I can take you any day, you brute," Anna retorted but did as ordered. She didn't want her friends to worry and dig up responses she wasn't ready to divulge. Biting back a sigh, Anna fixed a half-hearted smile on her face and brushed off Kristoff's and Sven's concerns as the night wore on. It wasn't until a loud yawn escaped that the blonde finally encouraged his petite friend to call it a night.

"Come on, you're exhausted. Go on to bed, the others will understand. Honestly, I'm surprised you're still functioning."

Glaring at her friend, Anna merely nodded in response and excused herself from the table. Hugging Sven, she stuck her tongue out at Kristoff. "Good night, then. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Disappearing, Anna bid her father a good night as well, quickly explaining that she desired some much needed sleep. After receiving a kiss to her forehead and a mumble of endearment from the chief, Anna shuffled her way to their lodge. With each step away from the laughter and warmth, Anna fell deeper into darkness and despair as the guilt tugged at her heart.

She had finally done right in her father's eyes. How was she going to tell him the truth? It would break his heart, his trust and pride in her. Sighing, Anna ran a hand through her bangs. She would have to tell him and soon. She couldn't continue pretending to be something she wasn't and she knew she would not be able to accept the rank of becoming a hunter with such a lie as her foundation.

She would have to tell him in the morning before the kills were presented. Distracted by her thoughts, Anna missed the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. It wasn't until she heard the soft crack of a twig snapping and a calloused hand grabbed her shoulder that she was jarred from her thoughts. Spinning around, Anna moved to crouch in a defensive position but was halted as a pair of wet lips pressed firmly against hers.

Startled, Anna froze for a moment before her brain kicked into gear again. Tearing away from the warm body, she spat into the grass while rubbing her mouth with the back of her forearm. "What the hell was that, Hans?" Anna demanded, glaring at the tall redhead standing in front of her.

The man appeared unfazed by her antics and merely smirked at the girl's childish antics.

"I was simply congratulating you on a job well done."

"By kissing me!? You have no right to do such a thing!"

Chuckling quietly, Hans stepped closer to Anna while keeping his hands latched behind his back. "My dear girl, I have every right. Or have you forgotten, my betrothed? We are to wed before the first snow fall."

"I won't marry you, Hans," Anna retorted. She knew of the arrangement between Hans and her father, but without her consent the wedding would take place. Unfortunately, Anna was not ignorant to the responsibilities of the chief's daughter. Sooner or later she would have to concede to the man's advancements.

"Oh, I highly doubt that," the man purred, stroking the back of his gloved hand against the girl's cheek. "It will only be a matter of time before you are mine. And who better than you to tend to my -," Hans glanced the girl from toe to head, allowing his smirk to grow, "-every need."

Feeling her stomach churn from the onslaught of implications, Anna resisted the chill that crept up her spine. No matter the disgrace she brought to her father, she would never belong to such a man. Glaring, Anna slapped Hans' hand away even as she stood her ground, refusing to back down to him or anyone.

"I'm a hunter now, Hans. I do not have to wed you for station."

Chuckling, Hans stood up straight, allowing his hands to clasp lazily behind his back once more. "Anna, darling, nothing has changed. Slaying a beast means nothing to me besides you being a greater conquest when I finally have you beneath me, my dear girl. However, that discussion is for another night. Sweet dreams, my darling. Until the morning."

Swallowing the bile that rose to her throat, Anna stood watching Hans until he disappeared from sight. She refused to turn around until he was gone. Similarly, with each step to the cabin she fought the urge to run. Even though she was alone she would not give him the unknown satisfaction. She refused to ever bend to that man.

As she stepped into her room, Anna realized that she wouldn't be able to admit her wrongs to her father, not if she wanted to ever be truly free. Sighing quietly, Anna stripped out of the tattered garments and crawled into the security of her bed. Despite the exhaustion that racked her body, she tossed and turned as her thoughts ran rampant throughout the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I realize y'all are anxious for Elsa to make her appearance. She will be arriving shortly, just not yet. I need to finish setting Anna up before I can bring her in. Patients, my pets, patience.

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Running through the woods, her breath labored, Anna leapt from one river bank to another. Stumbling on the slippery rocks, she dug her fingers into the damp soil as her foot slipped into the raging waters below. Clenching her jaw, the redhead pulled herself up the slope, fingers scrambling to find new grips as she struggled back onto solid ground. Taking off once she was standing, Anna continued running blindly in the dark. She couldn't stop, not yet. She had to get away from those chasing her.

It had been near a week since she returned from her hunt. After she woke, Anna and the other hunters had presented their kill to the clan before the celebratory feast, then throughout the week each hunter had recited their adventure abroad to the excited listeners gathered about the town fire. Anna was surprised to discover hers was one of the larger and more dangerous predators captured. Instead of feeling elated through the celebration and the final rites, the guilt simply increased as Anna remained silent about her secret and lied about the end of her tale.

In turn, she had received tokens befitting the shift in position, including her own required lodging. However, upon each compliment and gift bestowed on her by a swooning member, Anna became increasingly more nauseous. It also didn't help that Anna had been one of the better initiates; added to the fact that she was the chief's daughter, she had received an even higher status into the clan. On any other day and under almost any other circumstance, Anna would have been skipping on cloud nine.

Try as she might, though, she couldn't feel joyous over the changes taking place. The better her statues, she had foolishly assumed, the more freedom she would supposedly obtain. However, as she ran through the forest, jumping over fallen logs and ducking broken branches, she could only scowl. Instead of gaining independence and freedom, she felt her burdens increase as she obtained more obligations and responsibilities. Tonight had been no different.

As the last night of the celebration, Anna was required to face her final challenge. Similar to the hunts, each hunter was required to survive an unknown obstacle. If they were victorious, they would then have the honor of joining the rank of the hunter elites. If they failed, then they would be shunned from the clan. There was no in between or second chances. It was part of the reason women had been denied the opportunity to compete for such station; there simply weren't enough women to reproduce and keep the clan thriving.

After everything that had occurred in the mountains during her hunt, Anna would have happily repeated it thrice over and under worse circumstances if only she could have avoided tonight. During the hunt, she knew her objectives. Although there would be dangers, there would be a limited amount of surprises, even with factoring in the different variables involved.

With the final challenge? It was a test of the unknown. Each trial was different and varied per individual. On average, a majority of the hunters came out unscathed, although they were usually affected in some fashion. If Anna had been aware of the hurdle she was required to overcome, she would have never left Arendelle to begin with on that first night.

When the redhead had shown up for her test, her father had a scowl on his face. Looking back on things, her choice of attire was probably the cause. She had received stiff, new, formal garments to wear for the final event, gifts from her family and friends. As she was tugging on the boots she had neglected on the hunt in favor of her own broken in ones, Anna opted for comfort once more.

Stripping, Anna had changed into more casual attire, something that provided comfort as well as protection from the cold night air. Granted, the dark green cloak, cream top, faded trousers, and worn boots were anything but stylish, but they did the trick. Similarly, Anna had opted out for her customary braid instead of allowing her long, auburn locks to hang loose like her father preferred.

She was tired of being placed on a pedestal over the past week and longed for a bit of normalcy. Tonight was meant to be for herself, not for anyone else. She might have failed at obtaining an actual kill, but she was determined to prove herself in front of everyone and show the clan and herself that she had truly earned the new title. Unfortunately, life didn't appear to agree with her.

As she had stepped forward to face her challenge, Anna's freckled face blanched. There in front of her, which had been hidden by the broad shoulders of the hunters blocking her view, resided a cage. It was what was inside the cage that had curled the woman's innards. Wounded and left in a bloody heap, resided a mangled snow leopard, tied down with rope about its neck to restrain it from reaching the bars.

The creatures were rare in these parts of the woods, never coming close to the camp as they preferred the sanctuary of the higher mountains. Baffled, Anna had turned an accusatory eye towards her chief. That was when she learned that her challenge would be to slay the creature, to prove that she would do anything deemed necessary to defend and protect her clan.

To say she had been appalled was an understatement. It was one thing to kill a beast in self-defense or to slay a creature for survival, whether to consume or use their body for protection or craft into tools. To simply murder a creature, clearly one who was unable to protect themselves, in cold blood? Anna couldn't. She had balked.

While she had argued with the adamant chief about the wrongs of performing such a task, Hans had stepped forward to kill the creature in her stead. It wasn't his sneer or his insults at a woman's inability to perform her duties that caused her blood to curl. It was watching as Hans removed the cage and the animal laid there unable to move, helplessly staring into Anna's blue hues.

Feeling her heart wrench in its cavity, Anna had lunged forward and tackled the taller man to the ground as his blade plummeted towards the beast's side. The man hadn't even targeted a major artery by going for the throat or at least moving for a direct and quick kill. Anna was horrified when she realized by the gleam in his eyes that Hans had planned to draw out the snow leopard's torture.

Wrestling for the blade, Anna knew she was at a disadvantage. She was too small and weak compared to her opponent. The clan would not interfere or assist, despite Hans invalidating the rules. It was both to her relief and regret. As Anna's challenge, however, she had to resolve the matter herself, despite the unforeseen circumstances.

Thinking quickly, she had slipped a blade free from one of her hidden sheathes and stabbed Hans in the thigh. Jerking the blade free, Anna purposely sliced the muscles and tendons below as she broke away from the heavy body. Scrambling back towards the leopard's side, the clan stared on in horror at what Anna had just done. Even so, the clan still dared not move. The challenge was not over and until Anna either died, failed at her task, or completed the kill, they were unable to intervene.

Using the laws of the challenge to her advantage, Anna made a rash decision and slid to the ground beside the cat. She was grateful she had not followed protocol and worn the restrictive garments gifted to her. Flipping the blade about in her hand, she cut the beast free. Before she could utter a single word, the large creature had sprung to its feet and charged at the crowd surrounding them. Startled at the woman's decision to free the beast, despite having watched the arguments moments before, the humans jumped to the side out of fear of being eaten. Using the opportunity, the large cat disappeared into the woods.

It took another couple of seconds before shouts echoed about the camp. As hunters ran to grab their gear to hunt the beast down, the women gathered about the fallen man to stop the blood flowing. The challenge was over. She had failed. Rising to follow after the snow leopard, Anna had been yanked around by a firm grip on her bicep.

Not knowing what to expect, Anna had taken a defensive position, and for good measure. Seconds later she felt the blow of a curled fist before she was shoved to the side by her father. Laying stunned, the redhead didn't know what to think. She had disappointed her father in the past, but he had never risen his hand at her before in such a manner. As the words rained down on her, however, Anna finally snapped and bolted for the woods.

The last words she heard was her father ordering the hunters to kill the beast and to bring Anna back alive. That was hours ago. Since then, Anna had ran. She ran until her lungs burned and her muscles screamed at her to stop. She did everything but that. She welcomed the pain, for it kept the heart ache at bay as the words of her father resounded in her skull.

_She was a disgrace. A failure. She was no daughter of his. She would never be a hunter. _

Over and over the words spiraled through her head as she scrambled up yet another river bank. She had lost the sound of the hunters a while back, but she was too scared to stop. The adrenaline spurred her on throughout the night. Finally, exhausted, Anna crashed as the sun crested the tree tops.

Sprawled out in the moss covered ground, Anna listened to the labor breathing inside her head, happy to have something, anything, drown out the words of her father. She had to get up, but her limbs weren't moving. Tears falling down her face unabashed, Anna struggled as her eyes closed before the silence of the woods graced her ears.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Because my delightful guests and random PMers can't keep their panties from bunching up and let the tale run its course, I'm going to be mean and push back y'all getting to meet Elsa. The leopard from before wasn't her.~ Mean, I know. But, you'll see why it was done as such. Patience, little readers, patience. As stated in the summary, I'm still not sure how exactly I'm going to evolve Elsa and Anna's relationship, so for those who're looking for steamy scenes between the two, y'all might be disappointed in the long run. As for anyone else who might be reading the story, enjoy.

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Growling in frustration, a pair of lips sucked at the tip of a bleeding finger. It had been two days since she had fled into the woods, and without proper supplies or rest, Anna was left struggling. She had hardly slept since freeing the snow leopard, and every time she closed her tired hues all she saw were the sea green orbs of that large feline staring at her. Even when she was awake, she felt like she was being watched.

Picking up the stick she had been carving into a spear, Anna cried out in triumph, finally finished. Pumping her fist into the air, the weapon held high, the girl leapt to her feet, ecstatic that something was finally going right. She didn't have time to set traps like usual. Instead, she would have to hunt for food. It was plausible with the knife she had managed to retain during the scuffle and during her flight, but with the spear it would be much easier.

Although the berries and nuts she found were okay for temporary consumption, her constant movement burned up the energy quicker than she could replenish it. Unfortunately, she realized she would have to take time out of her flight to hunt and eat. With her weapon in place, Anna stalked off into the woods.

Recalling her tracking training, blue eyes swept the terrain for the usual signs that let her know which trails were fresh, which to avoid, and more importantly, which consisted of prey compared to foe. It was over an hour later that Anna settled down by the river's edge with a successful sigh. She had managed to kill a couple of rabbits and a squirrel, much to her delight. She would have preferred a buck, but she knew she didn't have the time nor the resources to gut and carry such a heavy load.

Pulling the prey to her side, Anna began the gruesome task of removing the fur before gutting the animal. With each item removed, the girl carefully sorted and attended what needed to be cleaned. Usually she was careless and simply discarded whatever parts of a critter she disliked. But, she realized with dread, she should probably be resourceful and salvage anything of importance, no matter how much she was against the idea.

Cleaning up her mess once she finished sorting the last of the piles, Anna got up and rinsed her hands free of the blood and grime after burying the discarded body parts. She didn't need to attract larger predators to the area until she was long gone. Moving to the small fire pit, Anna scuttled about to get a fire going. Remembering how Kristoff had showed her, Anna was able to build a flame without the smoke. Similar to the prey smelling her kill, she didn't need a stray hunter stumbling across her camp.

Once satisfied with her fire, Anna scrounged around for the skewers she had made out of a few sticks she gathered from nearby. With movements made easy from the years of practice, Anna slid the meat into place before roasting the rodents over the flame. While keeping an eye on the meat, Anna crouched on the ground away from the pit.

Pulling the hides over, Anna contemplated for a few minutes of what to do with them. They were too small for clothing of any sorts. She could make them into gloves, but she didn't have the tools required for the task. She needed something simple, something quick. Tilting her head to the side as she fiddled with the one of the soft paws, Anna smiled as an idea tickled the front of her brain.

By the time her food was done cooking, Anna had decided what to do with them for the time being. Working diligently, Anna finally sat back as she gathered her makeshift sack. She wasn't satisfied with the work, but without needle and thread, she was limited on her options. Having taken the hides of the rabbits, she tied the legs together to form a temporary holder for the cooked food while storing the desired animal bones within the squirrel's skin.

Satisfied, Anna smothered the flame and buried the pit. Rising, she quickly removed all trace of her existence and took off into the woods, happily nibbling on some of the rabbit meat. It wasn't seasoned and tasted bland, but it was better than berries.

While resting, Anna had debated on which direction she would head. In the end, Anna decided that she would head back to the North Mountains. She knew of her clan's superstitions regarding the terrain, but during her travels, she had discovered nothing of the sort over the few days she had been there. Granted, she had been knocked out during a snow storm and slept almost an entire day, but that was beside the point.

As far as she was concerned, however, she had found nothing but snow and free food. In her opinion, she thought the mountains were more of a sanctuary than a place of horror. After all, she had found shelter in her time of need. If her clan was afraid of the place, then perhaps they wouldn't think to follow her there.

By the time the sun crested the trees, Anna let out a yawn. She had been walking nonstop throughout the night, eager to make up the lost time that she had accrued during her temporary hunt. However, as her stumbling grew worse, Anna realized she would have to stop soon and rest. Glancing around, the strawberry blonde looked around for a tree to make her home. The nagging sensation of being watched and followed had returned over the past hour.

During the past couple weeks, ever since she had left the night of her first hunt, the back of her neck had tingled whenever she was alone in the woods. She was used to the sensation as she grew up, passing it off to be the random animals that made the trees their home. However, this was something different, something more. Because of this, Anna had felt uncomfortable resting on the forest floor since entering the woods. Instead, she had taken to the treetops before allowing her guard to drop enough for a few short hours of sleep.

Spotting a tree nearby that would do the trick, Anna made quick work of climbing the rough bark. Leaving her makeshift bags hanging on a limb further below to avoid the wafting smell of food penetrating her dreams, she finally selected a branch of her own. As she settled her back against the trunk of the tree, Anna crossed her ankles. Resting her hands on her stomach, she snuggled her back into the wood before closing her eyes for some well-earned slumber.

It wasn't even a minute later that the redhead huffed out a sigh. She was exhausted, but she couldn't sleep. Squirming on the branch, Anna ended up tossing and turning in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. Sitting with her back against the trunk, she altered her position to lay face down on the branch. From there she had tried laying with her legs in the air, both straight and bent, to curling up awkwardly on her side; praying the entire tie she didn't roll to her death below.

It was when she tried hanging from the branch like a bat that did her in. With the blood rushing to her noggin, Anna finally gave up. Easing her legs over the edge of the branch, Anna landed on the one below. Grabbing her fur skin bags, the girl dropped to the forest floor and continued moving on throughout the rest of the day. Perhaps if she could just walk until she passed out, the next tree branch would be much more comfortable.

By the time Anna stopped moving, she collapsed on the forest floor beneath a tall pine. She was too exhausted to climb. Similarly, she was too cold to scale higher into the altitude and freeze in the branches above. Sucking it up, Anna gathered some dried brush and had a small fire going in a matter of minutes. Settling down happily near the flame, Anna rubbed her arms as she drew her cloak closer about her figure.

The fire helped, but the minute flames still didn't keep the chill completely at bay. Forcing her body back into movement to help warm up before she was allowed to fall asleep, Anna heated up some of the squirrel meat while nibbling at her collection of fruit and nuts. By the time the rest of the food was warmed and consumed, Anna was barely able to remain awake. Knowing that she should put out the fire before she slept, Anna hesitated. Against her better judgment, she allowed herself a few more minutes of luxury while basking in the warm glow.

The next thing Anna recalled was waking with a start. Her chin flying off her chest, startled eyes widened against the darkness while trying to scout the small clearing to find what had woken her. As the minutes rolled on and she didn't hear another sound, nor notice anything moving besides the leaves high above, Anna allowed herself to relax. It was then that she realized how stiff and cold she had grown sitting on the ground. Knowing that she could alleviate at least one of the issues, Anna stroked the dying embers back into a delightful blaze.

As the clearing was bathed in a bright glow, Anna finally noticed what had woken her. There, standing at the tree line on the other side of the fire was a woman with long platinum hair, wild beneath the flicker of the firelight. Anna was frozen to her spot, unable to move as her eyes took in the scantly clothed figure. The long legs and well-muscled body left little for Anna's imagination as the linin barely provided coverage for the girl's lap and chest.

Blushing, Anna tore her gaze away from the woman before remembering that she might be an enemy. Forcing her blue eyes back to the tree line, Anna was startled to see that the woman was gone. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her fists, Anna looked again. She could have sworn there was someone standing beneath the trees.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **And, as a reward for my patient readers, here you are. I'll let y'all meet Elsa. But, shh. Anna doesn't know who she is yet. Give it another round.

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Against her better judgment to stay near the fire and source of light, Anna rose from her seat on the ground. Grabbing her spear in one hand, the girl crept slowly about the open flame and towards the dark woods to investigate the area. As she glanced around, Anna was surprised to discover that there were no tracks or signs at the edge of the woods or even a little bit of a ways in.

Convincing herself that she had simply still been asleep when she first woke up, Anna decided to go back to her rigged up camp. It was time she moved on, despite her premature wake up. Sighing, the redhead ran through the list of the things she needed to do. She was not looking forward to the prospect of putting out the fire or the time it would take to remove all trace of her existence. More so, she was not thrilled with the need to walk once again when all she wanted to do was sleep. Unfortunately, though, she had to be on her way.

As Anna emerged from the tree line, her breath hitched. There, sitting in her previously evacuated spot by the fire was the pale woman with platinum hair, twirling the makeshift bag about in her hands as if transfixed by the contraption. It wasn't until the woman glanced up, locking cerulean hues with Anna's blue orbs that the redhead froze in her spot once more.

She didn't appear dangerous, nor was she armed, but by the appearance of the woman's lithe frame, Anna was positive that she could fight her way out of any situation. Not wanting to fight and too curious about the mysterious woman, Anna crouched and lowered her spear slowly to the ground. Remaining in her lowered position, Anna raised her hands in the air to show they were empty before inching closer. As she moved closer, the woman tensed behind the fire, about to bolt.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Anna whispered, as if talking to a wild animal.

Instead of relaxing, the woman's muscles remained coiled beneath her pale skin. But she didn't run, much to Anna's delight. Pushing her luck, she tried again to move closer but was met with the same reaction. In turn, Anna muttered similar reassurances. After a few more attempts, Anna finally realized that the woman remained calmer when Anna was actually talking than silently approaching.

"It's okay, you know. You can open it," Anna nodded towards the rabbit skin still in the woman's grasp. "I didn't have any thread or needle, so the structure's a bit crude," Anna explained in a ramble as she continued to slide closer to the fire, "but, it does the trick. If you open it, there's a bit of meat left in it. If you'd like, I could heat some up if you're hungry. There are sticks over there that we can use as skewers."

By the time Anna finished her offer, she had reached the opposite side of the fire. Sitting down slowly, Anna crossed her legs in a comfortable position before she allowed her gaze to fall upon her companion as she worked some of the meat onto one of the sticks nearby. Up closer, she could see a trail of faint designs cresting the woman's pale skin. If it hadn't been for the fire's light dancing off the woman's skin, casting a different glow in certain areas, Anna would have never noticed in the darkness. Curiously, she continued to stare at the flowing patterns until the woman shifted uncomfortably beneath the redhead's scrutinization.

"Sorry, I was just noticing your… tattoos," Anna blushed, rubbing the back of her neck after settling the meat above the flame to cook. Normally she wasn't so bad about staring at people, especially when they were aware of it. She couldn't help it though. There was just something about this woman that enraptured her attention.

Cerulean hues simply blinked in the fire light as she stared at the girl, watching her every movement.

"The, erm, markings on your skin," Anna elaborated. Holding up her arm as the woman continued to stare at her in silence, Anna pushed back her sleeve. Dipping her fingers into the soot from the fire, Anna traced a similar design along the exposed flesh before showing it to the woman.

"See? There's a faded design on your skin. I was just looking at it, not staring at you. Not that you're not attractive or anything, just that, well, you're, um. Yeah. I was staring at your markings, but I'll stop now." Anna rambled as she lowered her arm back into her lap as her gaze dropped to the flames in embarrassment.

Still the woman didn't speak. As the silence stretched on, Anna hazard another glance at her quiet companion, only to gasp as she watched while the near-naked female drew idle designs on her skin with the same soot. Unable to help the giggle that escaped her, Anna quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Her movements caused the cerulean hues to glance up from her work to gaze curiously at Anna.

Squirming uncomfortably beneath the woman's stare, Anna was surprised when the woman held out her arm in return to show the designs she had drawn. Intermixed with the faded markings, Anna noticed that the woman had crafted the soot into soft spirals and swirls that contrasted sharply with her lighter flesh. Feeling a smile emerge from beneath her hand, Anna allowed the limb to drop.

"Very nice," Anna complimented the woman while self-consciously hiding the messy design on her own arm. The woman had made the task look so effortless with how fluent and smooth her motions were. The redhead was almost jealous. Ignoring the emotion, Anna tested the meat, and discovering that it was warm enough to consumer, she passed the stick to the woman.

"I'm Anna, by the way."

The woman stared at her without responding in kind, instead she merely stared at the food held between idle fingers.

"My name is Anna," the girl attempted again as the silence stretched on. When the woman didn't reply verbally or with a physical gesture to show she understood what she was saying, Anna waved the food in front of her. Her brow furrowing, Anna retracted her arm from over the flame as cerulean hues simply continued to stare.

"Anna," she stated while resting her free hand on her chest. "You are?"

Still, silence. Not even a blink or a twitch.

Huffing, Anna moved about the fire pit, and before either woman registered what was happening, Anna had hold of a pale hand and was resting it against her chest where her hand had rested moments before.

"An-nah," she repeated slower this time. "Who are you?"

Silence.

"Can you not speak?" Anna asked with a tilt of her head, more curious than upset by the lack of reaction. Still, the woman simply stared at her, bright orbs studying the young woman. _Maybe she just doesn't understand me. _Instead of trying again, Anna let out as a sigh as she flopped backwards into the moss, her arms to sprawl out above her head as the food laid forgotten.

She was too tired to figure out the enigma beside her. Perhaps after she slept she would try again if she hadn't chased the woman off. So distracted by trying to unravel the mysterious woman, Anna never registered that the blonde hadn't moved even an inch when she invaded her space. It wasn't until she felt her hand rise into the air as the blonde lifted it off the grass that Anna noticed their close proximity.

Instead of pulling away, Anna rolled her head, gazing curiously at the woman as her hand was turned and twisted in the cold grasp. It wasn't until she felt the soft mound of flesh beneath her palm as the woman pressed it into her partially covered chest that Anna reacted. Jerking back, Anna scooted away a bit as her face turned the color of her hair. Clearing her throat, Anna could have sworn she saw an amused expression dance across cerulean hues, but upon closer inspection, Anna noted that it was the same curious gaze from before watching her.

Embarrassed by her behaviors, Anna simply huffed and curled up on her side, almost in a pout. She didn't feel any threat from the woman, and her head was starting to hurt from adding this encounter on top of the events taking place over the past handful of days. She didn't need to be entertaining any guests. No matter how attractively silent they were. Too tired to keep her eyes open, Anna decided to contemplate her next options of what to do, both with the woman and the hunters at large. She wouldn't sleep, just let her eyes rest for a moment.

It wasn't until she felt an arm snake about her waist that Anna moved from her curled up position. Nuzzling her head into the soft mound beneath her temple, Anna murmured something of appreciation while tightening her grasp on her pillow, happy to be back in a soft bed. As she felt a pair of cold lips press daintily against the top of her scalp, Anna finally made the connection of the cold, hard, ground pressed against her side contrasting with the soft, warm, body pressed against her front.

She wasn't in her bed, back at Arendelle. She was still in the woods, on the ground, apparently laying on another person. Freaking out, Anna bolted up right and tried to pull away. However, as she flailed about, Anna felt a pair of strong limbs pull her back to the ground. Nerves on edge, Anna became aware of the amount of naked flesh pressed against her as arms and limbs ensnared the redhead to a soft body.

Inhaling as she tried to calm her frantic heart enough to come up with a plan of escape, Anna was surprised at the familiar scent that invaded her nostrils as a pair of nails began to scratch lightly at her scalp. Apparently she had fallen asleep and had somehow managed to cuddle into the mysterious blonde. At least it wasn't one of the hunters. Still, she needed to move. Trying to pull away again, Anna became confused as a head of hair came into view before it dipped to nuzzle into the crook of her neck.

She was baffled by the mixed sensations she was experiencing from the woman's change in behavior. Where silent and detached prior to falling asleep, Anna now struggled sleepily against the warm show of affection. More so, she was startled at the calming noises emerging from the woman's chest. It was as if she was purring. Against her better judgment, Anna allowed herself to relax as her brain shut down instead of dealing with the questions swirling around.

Clearly someone trying to murder her wouldn't lull her to her death through cuddles. Would they? Too confused by what was going on, and still not fully awake, Anna allowed herself to be lured to her death as she listened to the quiet rumbling vibrating from the woman's chest. It was rather tantalizing, and more so, Anna realized she was no longer cold. The combination was too tempting to pass up. Perhaps it wasn't a bad way to go. After all, it was better than being hunted down by who she used to call family.


End file.
